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Getting Support When You Have Low Back Pain

Topic Overview

When your back hurts all or most of the time, it can affect more than just your body. There's an emotional side to chronic pain. You may need a shoulder to cry on or someone to talk to. You need support.

Support groups—where you meet or talk to people who are dealing with the same issues you are—can be a great source of comfort and advice.

Some support groups focus on education. These groups
often are led by a professional, such as a teacher or a doctor who shares
information about the problem. Other groups focus on support. They often
include only people who have the same problem. These are called peer
groups.

In a peer group, you'll find people who are going through
the same things you are. You'll see that you're not the only one and that
others have the same feelings and challenges as you. Group members can give you
support, advice, and encouragement. You can see what is working for others and
decide if it might work for you.

You can help others in the
group by paying attention and letting them know you are listening and by
sharing your thoughts. Your experiences and ideas may be new to them. Being
able to help others is rewarding and helps you gain self-confidence.

Peer support may include consumer providers and consumer-run
services.

A consumer provider is someone who has been
trained to help others with the same type of problems. You can find consumer
providers in clinics. Because they know what you have gone through, they can be
good role models and coaches.

A consumer-run service is a group,
or part of a group, in which people with the same problem provide services.
These services include support groups, peer counseling, telephone help lines,
and drop-in centers.

How to find a support group

Here are some ways to find support groups:

Ask other people who
have chronic back pain.

Ask your doctor, counselor, or other health
professional for suggestions.

Contact a city, state, or national group
for back pain or chronic pain. Your library, community center, or phone book may have a
list.

Search the Internet. Forums, email lists,
and chat rooms let you read messages from others and leave your own messages.
You can exchange stories, let off steam, and ask and answer questions.

Look for a support group that works for you. Ask yourself
if you prefer structure and would like a group leader, or if you'd like a less
formal group. Do you prefer face-to-face meetings, or do you feel more secure
in Internet chat rooms or forums?

Support from your social network

You may not have good
social support. Perhaps you avoid other people. This may be because:

You feel ashamed and don't want to talk to anyone.

Your condition makes other
people wary of you. For example, if you rarely leave the house because it hurts too much to move, people
might think they shouldn't bother you.

You feel too sad to want to talk to
people.

You have no family and few friends where you
live.

If you can improve your social support, it can help you
deal with your pain. Here are some ways you can make your social support
stronger:

Know that social support is a two-way street.
You count on your social network for support, and its members also count on
you. Ask them about their families, jobs, and interests. And help them when you
can.

Know your friends' limits. You don't have to see or call your
friends every day. If you're going through a rough patch, ask friends if it's
okay to contact them outside of the usual boundaries.

Don't always
complain or talk about yourself. Know when it's time to stop talking and listen
or to just enjoy your friend's company.

Be clear when you talk with others. Ask questions to be sure you know what people want. If you ask
for something, be sure you make yourself understood. Listen to what your
friends have to say, and don't judge them.

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How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.